TreadWright Claw B2B Review - Rolling Green

Getting the most life out of your tires is something everyone strives for. After all, tires are a big investment, and not one that any of us want to make often. TreadWright is a company that has been threading new life into old tires for decades. Specializing in remolded tires, TreadWright puts an eco-spin on an otherwise not so green part of our hobby. In an effort to bring users an even higher quality remolded tire, the company has come to market with a new line of Bead-to-Bead tires.

The Bead-to-Bead tires are still remolds, but instead of having mismatched sidewalls (something that is common with remolded tires), the Bead-to-Bead series tires have a new uniformed sidewall finish. This is accomplished by applying a rubber veneer directly to the donor tire’s sidewalls. The company’s goal with the Bead-to-Bead process is to significantly enhance the tire’s cosmetic appearance by branding each with the TreadWright name and further seal the tire to improve performance and durability.

A few months ago, we got our hands on a set of the new Bead-to-Bead Claws in a 265/75R16. For testing, we placed the mud-terrain tires under a ’00 Jeep Grand Cherokee that is used for hauling, wheeling, and daily driving. Being that the B2B Claws we tested were fitted with an E load-range, capable of carrying well-over 3,000 pounds each, it was overkill for the Grand. This high load-capacity rating is common for many tires around this size, which makes them suitable for something as heavy as a 1-ton truck.

If you are like us, you probably did a double take when you saw the Bead-to-Bead Claw. Yes. We think the tread on the TreadWright B2B Claws looks an awful lot like the old BFG Mud-Terrain KM as well. As a matter of fact, they perform similarly, which is a good thing in our book.

Off-Road
In the dirt, the tires grabbed and ejected terra-firma like a mud-terrain should. Even at low rpms, the tires did a nice job of shaking out the mud. Since we were testing the tires on the stock WJ wheels, we kept the air pressure set in the mid-teens. Despite the heavy load rating, the sidewalls flexed well off-road and took the hits and ribbing that the Southeast terrain often delivers with stride. Although, we would have liked to have spent more time on rocky terrain, for the mix of light trails and mud we encountered, the tires were on par with most modern mud-terrain radials.

On-Road
Our only major complaint is the amount of road noise the tires produce. The B2B Claws may look like an old BFG Mud-Terrain KM, but the tires emit a higher pitched hum on the highway that’s more reminiscent of a TSL Radial. In terms of handling, they balanced well (didn’t take much weight) and spun true and round. So far, we’ve put a few thousand miles on the tires and it barley looks like we’ve worn any tread at all. Handling on-road is helped by sipes throughout the tread, and ranks about average when compared to other tires in its category.

One unique option TreadWright offers is the addition of Kedge Grip. Kedge Grip is designed as a traction additive that is blended into the rubber compound. It consists of crushed-walnut shell and glass particles. The idea is that as the tire wears, the walnut shell will displace from the rubber and leave behind 1mm voids to help increase traction. The crushed glass is intended to stay longer to increase grip on the surface of the tread.

Wright Thoughts
One question people often have about a remolded tire is if it will go the distance. TreadWright states that the company uses only Full-Grade Truck rubber, which has anywhere from 10-20-percent natural rubber. This compound is meant to create a higher-mileage tire (rubber is said to be rated at 40-50K) and be more cut-resistant. For the value, performance, and overall quality, we say the TreadWright Bead-to-Bead series tires are definitely worth a closer look. In the end, it’s hard to argue with going green and saving green!